7th Judicial District Nominating Commission to interview nominees for two new district judge positions

TOPEKA—The 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission will convene at 9 a.m. Wednesday, August 31, to interview nominees to fill two district judge positions. 
 
One position is created by Judge Kay Huff's July 8 retirement. The other was among the district court judge positions certified by Supreme Court Administrative Order 2022-JA-020 after the Kansas Legislature passed and the governor signed 2022 House Substitute for Substitute for Senate Bill No. 267 to fund them. 
 
The 7th Judicial District is Douglas County. 
 
Public interviews 
 
Interviews are open to the public. They will take place at: 
  
Douglas County Courthouse 
111 E 11th St. 
Lawrence, KS 66044 
  
The interview schedule will be announced once it’s finalized.   
 
The nominees: 

• Alice Craig, Baldwin City, special counsel, Hall & Evans, LLC
   

• Nicholas David, Lawrence, attorney, The David Law Office, LLC
   

• Carl Folsom, III, Lawrence, assistant federal public defender
   

• Jessica Glendening, Lawrence, deputy defender, 3rd Judicial District Public Defender's Office 
   

• Blake Glover, Baldwin City, judge pro tem, 7th Judicial District
   

• Tonda Hill, Lawrence, assistant district attorney, Wyandotte County
   

• Paul Klepper, Lawrence, judge pro tem, 7th Judicial District
   

• Jonathon Noble, Lawrence, chief public defender, Northeast Kansas Conflicts Public Defender Office
   

• Catherine Theisen, Lawrence, attorney, Barber Emerson, L.C.
   

Accommodation 
 
Any person with a disability who requires accommodation to access the nominating commission meeting should notify the judicial branch ADA coordinator as early as possible: 
  
ADA Coordinator 
ADA@kscourts.org 
785-296-2256 
TTY at 711 
  
Eligibility requirements 
  
A nominee for district judge must be: 

• at least 30 years old; 
   

• a lawyer admitted to practice in Kansas and engaged in the practice of law for at least five years, whether as a lawyer, judge, or full-time teacher at an accredited law school; and 
   

• a resident of the judicial district at the time of taking office and while holding office. 
   

Nominees to governor 
  
The nominating commission will select three to five people whose names will be submitted to the governor to fill these positions according to statutory qualification and residency requirements. The governor has 60 days after receiving the names to decide whom to appoint.
 
Term of office
  
After serving one year in office, a new judge must stand for a retention vote in the next general election to remain in the position. If retained, the incumbent will serve a four-year term.
  
Nominating Commission
  
The 7th Judicial District Nominating Commission consists of Justice Eric S. Rosen as the nonvoting chair; Elina Alterman, Elizabeth Cateforis, Stephanie Davis, Lisa Harris-Frydman, Wesley Smith, and Daniel Watkins, all of Lawrence.